OCTOBER

St. Francis Regional Medical Center Earns National Accreditation with Commendation from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to the cancer program at St. Francis Regional Medical Center. To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet or exceed 34 CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care. Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation is only awarded to a facility that exceeds standard requirements at the time of its triennial survey.

Because it is a CoC-accredited cancer center, St. Francis takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists. This multidisciplinary partnership results in improved patient care.

The CoC challenges cancer programs to enhance the care they provide by addressing patient-centered needs and measuring the quality of the care they deliver against national standards.

Patient Satisfaction AwardThe Sharon Loth award was implemented in honor of our long time patient representative at St. Francis, Sharon Loth. This award is presented quarterly to the department with the highest percent increase in response to the question, “Would you recommend this hospital to family and friends?” The traveling trophy and honor was presented to the Cancer Center following noteworthy distinction in patient satisfaction scores.

• 85% of respondents agreed that clinical staff helped them to understand their health condition

• 89% of respondents indicated that clinical staff showed concern and sensitivity to their needs

• 88% of respondents felt that there was good teamwork among the doctors, nurses, therapists and other staff

Dr. Lorre OchsMedical Director, St. Francis Cancer Center

Dr. Brenda LarsonHematology and OncologyPark Nicollet Clinic

Dr. Barbara BowersMedical Oncology

Dr. Linda WilmarthRadiation Oncology

2 0 1 4 S T. F R A N C I S C A N C E R C E N T E R

Outcome Report

100%

90%

80%

89%85%

11%*

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

16%

55% 57%

77%

61%

Breast Lung Colorectal Non-HodgkinLymphoma

St. Francis NCDB

S4131492 116681 0115 ©2015 ALLINA HEALTH SYSTEM. TM – A TRADEMARK OF ALLINA HEALTH SYSTEM.

Annual Skin Cancer Screening Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Institute offered their services for our annual free skin cancer screenings. Giving their time and talents on May 14, 2014 were M. Elizabeth Briden, MD; Denise Barnhardt, PA-C and Melissa Waterman, PA-C. These free screenings are intended to assist the uninsured and underinsured in our communities. Fifty-one participants were screened with twenty-two of them recommended for biopsies. Presumptive diagnoses included a squamous cell carcinoma, dysplastic nevi, seborrheic keratosis, actinic keratosis, lentigos and dermatofibromas. All participants were given a copy of their skin screening report and follow-up letters were sent to those that required further evaluation. Of the twenty-two that were recommended to have further evaluation, only two participants followed up with a biopsy.

Cancer Care Coordination Expanded care coordination at St. Francis now provides personal assistance for all newly diagnosed cancer patients in making informed decisions about their treatment options. Marti Auringer, RN provides compassionate coordination of care for all cancer patients. In 2014, she coordinated care for 95% of all newly diagnosed cancer patients at St. Francis. She assists patients in their journey and helps them navigate the healthcare system. Along with a collaborative team of professionals, she ensures that every patient gets the best possible care and emotional support.

Cancer Care Services at St. Francis• Screening and diagnostic imaging• Surgery• Chemotherapy and other medical treatments• IV therapy• Image – Guided Radiation Therapy• Multidisciplinary team including care coordinators, registered

dietician, chaplain, social worker, financial services professional• Education and support Groups• Clinical trials and research• Integrative therapies including massage, aromatherapy,

acupuncture, guided imagery• Pain management• Palliative care • Allina Home Care and Hospice

2014 Physician Touchstone AwardEach year the medical staff at St. Francis recognizes a physician who has made a tremendous impact through their leadership and clinical excellence. Cancer Center Medical Director Dr. Lorre Ochs was honored as the 2014 Physician Touchstone Award winner in recognition of her tremendous leadership and clinical excellence. Under her leadership, the Cancer Center was recently accredited by the American College of Surgeons as ranked in the top 25% of hospitals in the United States.

Dr. Lorre Ochs

The St. Francis Cancer Center continues to partner with the community to provide cancer prevention and education. As noted above, our skin cancer screening program was again very successful. We continue to host the popular “Spring Connection” honoring our cancer survivors. Members of our oncology program also remain very active in community events such as Diggin’ Pink, Relay for Life and Tackle Cancer.

The Cancer Care Team believes it is so important for people to receive cancer care close to home. We are here to serve you and your family.

Five Year Survival ComparisonTop 4 SitesSt. Francis vs. National Cancer Data Base (NCDB)*St. Francis had a higher percentage of patients with Stage IV disease than NCDB (58% versus 45%), which would explain why our survival rate is slightly lower than NCDB.

n St. Francisn NCDB